Tail Talk

This past week will go down as one of my very worst weeks’ ever, and there is nothing I or anyone else can do to change things. I am normally a very positive person and consistently find good where there is none to be found, but this situation goes beyond my ability to see any glimmer of light at the end of this dark tunnel. We had to return Vinson to the Randolph County Humane Society shelter, and my heart is broken beyond words to describe. For those of you that have been reading Tail Talk you know that my sweet Puppy (better known as Action Jackson) has epilepsy and suffers from grand mal seizures that happen with no warning and come on suddenly for no apparent reason. It is well known that in the animal world epileptic animals are killed by their pack mates for reasons that are not fully understood except the sight of a seizure brings out an extreme prey instinct. It goes back to the most basic part of their brain and the instinct to survive when the epileptic pack mate put the entire packs’ survival in peril. I had read about this before adopting Vinson and that was the reasoning behind why I would not bring an alpha dog into our pack. I didn’t think we would have any issues with Jack’s epilepsy from sweet, unassuming Vinson, a dog as far removed from an alpha personality as one can be, but I was wrong. Since Jack and Vinson have been together they’ve spent hour upon hour outside, rolling around in the yard in a nonstop embrace of fun and play. I don’t know if it was the increased activity level or what but I heard a commotion from the yard and when I got outside Vinson had Jack on the ground by the throat. I was able to get them apart and scolded them both for letting their playfulness get out of hand like that. However, I remember thinking at the time that Jack wasn’t fighting back and something wasn’t right with what I had witnessed. Another day passed with no problems, then it happened again, and we knew we had to protect our Puppy. Since there will never be a time that Puppy won’t be in danger of having a seizure we had no other choice but to return Vinson to the shelter, even though he was so good with all three of our bubs every other moment of every other day. Sweet, unassuming Vinson, the dog that walked into our life as a perfect fit in every way except this one, went from running and romping freely in his own yard, giving kisses to everyone he met, back to spending his days in a kennel, and my heart aches for him. I’m sure some of you wonder why I didn’t try to find a new home for Vinson as I have suggested you do before you call the shelter to surrender your animal. When you adopt from a shelter you sign a contract that if for any reason you are unable to fulfill your obligation to give them their forever home you will surrender them back to the shelter (remember when Ellen DeGeneres gave her adopted dog away and the fiasco that followed because she didn’t read the contract). The humane society is correct in requiring you to surrender the animal to them because they have a better chance than you do of getting that animal into a home that will meet all of their needs. If the animal has issues they will work with them until their issues are resolved, allowing them to be adopted into a different family that has had their background checked to insure a good fit thereby lessening the chances that they will be returned exponentially. I guess the bottom line is Vinson is no worse off than he was before but is fortunate enough to have had a three week vacation in between stints at the shelter. Except I know. I meant every word I said when I promised him he’d be safe with us in his forever home, just as I promised Jack I would take care of him. I was raised that my word is my bond, and it hurts when I can’t follow through, even when it is my word to the shelter dog that had the gunshot wound to his leg., the throw away animal that no one wanted except me. My prayer is that someone out there reading this knows of a person that is looking for a loyal and loving companion to spend their days with, someone that needs the kind of friendship that only a love monkey like Vinson can give them. If you do I know of a dog I can highly recommend. He is loyal, loving and forgiving to the point that he doesn’t hold the actions of the people that hurt him against all others. He’ll be your friend and ally until he breathes his last breath, and you’ll be rewarded with a love so pure you’ll never feel alone or lonely again. He’s waiting for you at the Randolph County Humane Society as we speak. And never forget, it is only through you that the RCHS continues to save lives, one by one.